Corporate Wellness Magazine interviewed Katy Keene, HR, for Crowley Maritime Corporation. Keene manages approximately 15 people representing offices across the United States. Keene told CWM how the CCWS has influenced her professional life and those whom she works with in her organization.
"I learned about the CCWS course from a friend, and also noticed it was offered at the Employer Healthcare & Benefits Congress. In the ever growing, ever developing field of corporate wellness, it is important for me to stay relevant, knowledgeable and credible - this is what the CCWS has done for me.
"Being recognized with the CCWS qualification ensures I'm on top of best practices and understand customized wellness programs, which further provides confidence to fulfill my responsibilities and support our employees on their path to overall well-being.
"Learning best-practices from other successful corporate wellness programs is the most important lesson I learned in the course. It is wonderful to hear what innovative things companies are doing as this industry continues to grow, and even taking away a small idea to add to your program can make a huge difference.
One of the changes I made to our wellness program because of the CCWS program is building on the ways to communicate the wellness program to employees and plan members. This is one of the most challenging pieces of growing a wellness program, and an extremely important one!
"The next best thing in wellness is innovation and technology. The technology industry grows extremely fast, and we've already seen how new technology ties in with health and wellness today - through onsite health kiosks, online portals, wearable devices tracking fitness, wearables tracking health levels and transmitting vitals.
Even databases being built to help better understand and proactively anticipate potential health concerns for individuals! It's fascinating, and I imagine this is only going to get bigger, more convenient and more individualized.
"My career has advanced from having a recognized and reputable certification. It definitely shows that I am staying relevant and engaged in the corporate wellness field, which contributes to my resume and furthering my career. If I were to offer advice to any other wellness program, it would be to stay relevant, be creative, and do not be afraid to borrow ideas from others that fit within your organization and culture.
Help make it clear for employees, that overall well-being connects with many aspects of the organization (ex. learning & development, charitable giving, work/life balance, safety, etc.) and leverage that and partner to spread the culture through other avenues within the organization.
"For me, there are many successes, but one in particular that seems so simple yet had a huge impact is from our Executive Vice President. He happily shares with employees that an online fruit and vegetable tracking challenge "changed his life". Tracking online helped him realize what was missing in his diet and encouraged him to add in more fruits and vegetables.
He saw a significant health difference after this change and has truly made it part of his lifestyle. Any time he has the chance in meetings or during presentations discussing the wellness program, he's excited to share his transformation."
